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Apr 28, 2024

Maine Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.3

Organization 4.5

Spectators 3.9

Number of comments: 132 [displaying comments 41 to 51]

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J. H. from Boston, MA (10/10/2010) "Well-organized with friendly volunteers" (about: 2010) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Maine Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The race was very well organized and had plenty of friendly, enthusiastic volunteers. There was not much in the way of scenery along the course. I guess I was expecting something a bit more picturesque. The hills don't really amount to much of anything except for maybe the noticeable hill at mile 17. All in all, I found the race to be a very pleasant, low-hassle event. I would definitely do it again.
U. L. from NJ (10/8/2010) "Great day for a run!" (about: 2010) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Maine Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 An all around good experience. The day was beautiful, the course challenging (for me anyway) but not too much so, and the spectators and support stations were enthusiastic and encouraging, even for us back-of-the-pack runners. My only negative was they ran out of women's sizes for the race shirts, but in all fairness, I got to the expo kind of late in the day. I found the parking at the start very easy and convenient too - a big plus in my book since I tend to worry more about the logistics than the race itself. Good job, Portland - a wonderful event and great scenery too!
G. H. from Brewer, Maine (10/8/2010) "First-class race in all respects." (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Maine Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race director went above and beyond to help me find a spot to park my R.V., and I really appreciated that personal service. The course is an honest one - not too easy but certainly not too hard, with manageable hills. Water stops were numerous, and they were all manned with volunteers who seemed to be having fun, and who were very supportive of the runners. The course had quite a few spectators, and they gave enthusiastic support. All aspects of the race helped me in my quest to qualify for Boston, and I would highly recommend this race to other marathoners.
S. F. from Boston, MA (10/7/2010) "Highly recommended small race" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Maine Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Loved it! I ran the full, had a great run and enjoyed every mile. The organization and packet-pick up were good. Portland is an easy city to navigate and there's plenty of free parking at number pick-up the day prior. Awesome long-sleeve shirt, great tote bag of the usual give aways. Seamless pre-race as well. Easy parking near the start. Great course and the director arranged for perfect weather too. The hills are nothing; it is New England after all. If your long runs are on New England country roads, you are all set. If you trained in Kansas, you may be in trouble! I was very pleased to see that the medal for the full was different from the medal for half - and twice as big. It is nice to get recognition for a full rather than the same reward as the halfies as if your race was an afterthought attached to a half marathon. The volunteers at the end draped my medal around my neck and wrapped me in Mylar. I am used to unenthusiastic volunteers handing them to me. Plenty of food left for a four-hour mid-packer too. Great time. Do it if you have the chance.
R. M. from United States (10/6/2010) "Don't miss this race" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Maine Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a terrific small-to-mid-sized race. The course is rolling enough to be interesting, but flat enough not to take too much out of you. It's not Boston or New York, but you'll find pockets of spectators along most of the course if you need that boost. The race organizers kept everything running smoothly, and I saw no organizational hiccups. It's a tiny bit crowded while the marathon and half marathon are running together, but this lasts only a few miles, and this is when you should be running conservatively anyway.
R. W. from Durham, NC (4/23/2010) "Phenomenal logistics and fall colors!" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Maine Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 They take this race seriously in Portland! I just received an entry form in the mail for this year's race. That tells me they've been planning at least 6 months for October, and all of their planning showed at last year's race. The packet pickup, expo, race line up, water stops, and post-race food were all impeccable! Parking near the starting line was simple with the University of Maine's parking deck nearby. The crowd was supportive along the entire course, and the fall colors were amazing. And downtown Portland had some killer restaurants and things to see. I'm a Texas guy, but I really enjoyed Portland. Though I'm a 50-stater with a bunch to go, I'll run this race again. Very well done!
M. R. from Orlando, Florida (1/2/2010) "A nice race for Maine" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Maine Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Portland was my second of two marathons in two days - so I was not physically fresh and expected to take over 6 hours. I thought there would be more hills. There were hills, but they were very manageable and I finished under 5 hours, with a better time the second day. Pros: 1. Easy pick up on Saturday - but like others have mentioned, the expo was shut down when we arrived at 5:15. 2. Medal - shaped like the state of Maine is unique and fits my 50-state collection nice. 3. Long-sleeve tech shirt is of high quality. 4. Food at finish line plenty of choices and plenty of food. 5. Volunteers - very helpful and very friendly. Cons: 1. Traffic was merging with runners at about mile 5-6 - a woman leaving the local pottery show was driving between the runners, and it got a little scary when she drove on the heels of a runner. They need better traffic control at that point of the road. Outside of that, the roads were well controlled by the police. 2. More view of the water would have been great.
G. H. from New Brunswick, Canada (12/17/2009) "Awesome race - well organized!" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Maine Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Just wanted to say that this was a well organized marathon and the fans along the course were awesome!! They really helped people through the tough times!! This was my first US marathon, as I am from New Brunswick, Canada, and could not believe how smoothly the event went!! Keep up the good work!!! Don't change a thing!!
S. H. from Lawrenceville, GA (12/14/2009) "Great destination marathon" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Maine Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This is a race to run if you would like to enjoy the Maine scenery in the fall while spending a few extra days in Portland to be a tourist. This is not the race to run if your only purpose is to BQ. I ran this race as a training run before running Las Vegas and it served its purpose: 3:47 in Maine and a 3:37 qualifying time in Vegas. It was a peaceful training run and Maine has beautiful scenery. I have no regrets about choosing this race but just know going into it that there are some hills.
S. A. from Cincinnati, OH (11/5/2009) "Maniacs and 50-Staters everywhere! Fun!" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Maine Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Both this race and the NH Marathon the day before were jam-packed with 50-Staters and Marathon Maniacs trying for a double-marathon weekend, which made it lots of fun! Course was pretty nice (hilly), and the swag was pretty decent.

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